Written By Barbara Gettes / Photos by Lisa Schaffer

One of my favorite things is finding an artist who does not scream to get your attention. If you are familiar with Philadelphia native Hezekiah Jones, you also know the power of a whisper. With a long-awaited release of some new music in the after-time post-pandemic present apocalypse;  I am positive that I am not the only one breathing a sigh of relief to get some new songs from Hezekiah Jones.  The low-fi approach to his recording has become seminal in understanding their signature sound. If you close your eyes you can imagine sitting around a bonfire with friends, or in the intimacy of a living room where everyone is also singing along in the sweetest of harmonies.  Hezekiah Jones seems to encapsulate this feeling.  Of togetherness. 

Word has caught on about the Jones family and fans now will pack a venue to experience Hezekiah Jones live. An experience to seek as you can still see, hear, and meet the bonfire friends dancing their asses off or whispering the harmonies that run nearly two decades deep.  Alas.  This is not about the Hezekiah Jones live show experience.  It is about the new release.  The new EP boasts two new songs for the devoted lovers of Hezekiah Jones.  One song titled “Having a Time Machine Isn’t a Good Enough Reason to Time Travel”. The other song is titled “Like a Rock in a Tub”.   Though it sounds like there are subtle whispers of so many voices,  I am suspicious that on “Having a Time Machine Isn’t a Good Enough Reason to Travel” the vocals are comprised of Kiley Ryan and Raphael Curtrufello.   The voices we hear could exist in our heads just as much as on the floor in a living room concert.

Next song up is called “Like a Rock in a Tub” and it boasts another signature vibe of Sir Raphael Curtrufello, AKA Hezekiah Jones. A creepy waltz.  The last I heard a new creepy waltz from Hezekiah Jones was pre-Wednesday times and so Wednesday Adams if you are listening, I strongly encourage you to find your way to the recordings of Hezekiah Jones.  Find your way to one of his live shows and I reckon Hezekiah Jones would be thrilled to have you and your cello as the newest Jones member. I’ll call it now; Wednesday Jones. You won’t regret it. Season 2 is in the works.  Let’s help the music supervisor on Wednesday see this, okay?

Seriously… listening to this music is a breath of fresh new air mixed with the comfort of your very favorite old blanket. One last bit to be noted about Hezekiah Jones is that the impact he has had on countless people with almost a rabbinical character is tremendous. A silent, non-judgmental, mainstay on the Philadelphia music scene for two decades.  I am confident your ears will devour the new Hezekiah Jones songs that were released today. Gratitude to Hezekiah Jones and family for releasing new songs, this week of November 6, 2023, and brightening our souls on these dark days.  We look forward to future releases, as always. 

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The new album, Candle To You, is the riveting, expansive new album by the contemporary folk artist, Ad Vanderveen. What is so unique about this record is that most of the album was written on the mandola and features instruments like the pedal steel, violin and viola, bass, drums/percussion, and harmony vocals. Because it was written on the mandola, it uniquely looks towards past timeliness and stillness.

On the opening track, “Do What You Love,” Vanderveen is both a storyteller and an advice-giver. He sings: “you need a miracle to make it on through… love what you find or you find what you love… do what you love and you’ll be taken care of…” It’s such a beautiful folk song with beautiful, gentle instrumentals and vocals.

The Amsterdam-born Vanderveen was born overseas, but his classic voice echoes the influences he borrowed from the folk/Americana greats like Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, and more. This can especially be heard in the second track, “Following In The Wind.” The close resemblance in his voice to Young’s is incredible and the lyricism in this song is real.

“Over Time” is just a terrific storytelling song where he sings about going to visit an old friend, which put him on old memory “spin” and looking back “overtime” is just different looking back over your life. It’s such an interesting song. I really enjoy the tempo and energy of this track.

“All The Way Thing” talks about humility and love being an “all the way thing.” I love the lyricism in this song from Vanderveen. It’s a very honest and humble song.

On “Miss That World,” he gets a little more country with the gentle acoustic guitar playing in the background, and violins quietly being played beautifully. There was also a bluesy harmonica solo that took place after the first verse.

If Vanderveenb sounded anything like the folk greats earlier, he definitely took influence from them on the album’s last track on “Air Guitar.” You can just hear Neil Young or Bob Dylan’s influence on him.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by some of the songs on this record. It had some really decent songs on it that I enjoyed. I definitely recommend giving it a listen if you’re into Americana/folk music and into artists like Bob Dylan, Neil Young, or Woody Guthrie.

Connect with Ad Vanderveen

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